Refrigerating apparatus



June-l6, 1942. uc 7 2,286,491

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March so, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 Sheets-Sheet a. INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS June 16, 1942. A. A. KUCHER REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March so, 1940 BY W Julie 16, 1 42; A. A. KU HER 2 286,491

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March 30, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 4 'INVENTOR. BY w mrfi ATTORNEYS.

June 16, 1942. A. A. KUCHER 2,286,491

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March 50. 1940 5 She ts-Sheet 4 n- VENTOR.

' ATTORNEY.

'June 16,1942." AQA. KUCHER 2,286,491 'REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March 30, 1940 '5 Sheets-Sheet 5 J J; W 1 BY @M ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 1 6, 1942 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Andrew A. Kucher, Dayton; Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton,, hio, a

corporation of Delaware Application March 30, 1940, Serial No. 326,853

4 Claims. 1 (01. 18332) Thisinvention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to refrigerating ap-, paratus for use in air conditioning.

One object of this invention is to provide a simplified inexpensive air conditioning unit which may be conveniently mounted either in a small cabinet or directly in a duct system.

Another object of this invention is to improve the general arrangement of the elements so as to facilitate service and repair of the parts without increasing the cost of production.

A further object of this invention is to improve the air flow through the conditioning cabinet.

Still another-object of this invention is to improve upon the hermetically-sealed refrigerating system so as to improve the operating efficiency of the refrigerating system.

In the-usual air conditioning installation in which a portable type of unit is desired, it is as a general rule necessary to provide an outer cabinet for enclosing the apparatus. In order to make full use of this cabinet, it is an object of In the preferred embodiment of my invention, the air conditioning cabinet generally designated by the reference character l0 comprises a lower section l2 and an upper section I6; The lower section I2 is of sufficiently rigid construction to support the apparatus therein without the use of a separate angle iron frame.

this invention to utilize this cabinet not only as a part of the air duct system but also as a means for more conveniently supporting the air conditioning apparatus.

The upper section l6 constitutes a plenum chamber removably mounted on the upper end of the lower section l2. As best shown in Fig. 3, the lower section 12 is provided with a hinged door I8 which has incorporated therein an air inlet opening 20 provided with louvers 2| and a pair of replaceable filter elements 22 which are slidably supported by means of the guides 24 and 26 whereby the filter elements may be removed by sliding the filter element upwardly in the guides.

As shown in Fig. 2. the louvers 2| are arranged so as to draw air to be conditioned from the lower portion of the air conditioned space. The opening 26 is sufiiciently high to prevent floor dust and the like from being picked up by the return air stream. Track elements 28, which may be weld- A still further object of this invention is to so arrange the elements within the air conditioning cabinet that the hermetically-sealed volatile refrigerating system maybe readily removed from the cabinet as a unit without disturbing the air circulating means, the air filter-,- and the air Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein-a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is an elevational view with parts broken away showing a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig.2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cabinet with the refrigerating-apparatus removed;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the refrigerating apparatus which isremovable from the cabinetas aunit;

' showing the controls used for the refrigerating apparatus.

ed or otherwise secured directly to the side walls of the cabinet l2, are adapted to removably support the entire volatile refrigerant system comprising the evaporator 30, the hermeticallysealed motor-compressor-condenser-receiver unit 32, the switch box 34 and all of the refrigerant flow connections between the hermetically-sealed unit 32 and the evaporator 36.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the hermetically-sealed motor-compressor-condenser-receiver unit 32 is supported from a main frame 36 by means of resilient mounting brackets 38. The resilient mounting bracket 38 includes apair of rubber-like mounts 40 whichabsorb any vibration which may be produced by the rotating parts of the motor-compressor mechanism. The main frame 36 is provided with rollers 42 which facilitate removal of the frame 36 from the supporting brackets 28.

Theevaporator 30 is provided with a condensate drain pan 44 which is provided with a drain connection 46 through which the condensate is discharged to waste.

The end plates 48 of the evaporator are constructed (as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3) so as to be in engagement with the air directing baflies 50 and 52 carriediby the casing l2. By virtue of this arrangement all of the air entering the cabinet through the return air-opening 20 or the fresh air duct 54 must pass over the evaporator before being picked up by the blower element 56 which discharges the conmetically-sealed unit 82.

ditloned air upwardly through a steam or other type of reheat coil 58 located in the plenum chamber I6. The air entering the plenum chamber I6 from the fan unit 56 is discharged through the air outlet grille 68 provided in the front wall of the plenum chamber I6. The outlet air grille 68 comprises a plurality of horizontally disposed and individually adjustable air directing vanes 62 and a plurality of vertically disposed independently adjustable air directing vanes 68 arranged directly behind the horizontal vanes 62. The blower unit 56 is of the centrifugal type and is driven by means of an electric motor 51. The blower 56 and the blower operating motor 51 are both mounted on a common frame 68 which is resiliently supported by means of resilient mounts 68 on the cross bars I8 carried by the main casing I2. The reheat coil 58 is supported on the frame I2 which is secured to the upper end of the casing I2.

As clearly shown in Fig. 4, air entering the lower portion of the cabinet I2 is free to-flow from the space occupied by the motor-compressor-condenser into the space occupied by the evaporator since the cabinet has not been divided into compartments. By virtue of this arrangement, the fresh air duct 58 may be arranged to introduce fresh air through the backwall of the cabinet into the lower portion of'the casing I2 from whence the fresh air may flow upwardly into the space in front of the evaporator.

All of the walls of the cabinet sections I2 and I8 are lined with insulating material 18 which not only serves to deaden the noises but also serves to insulate the outer walls of the cabinet so as to prevent the outer walls from becoming cold enough to serve as a condensing surface for the moisture in the room air.

In referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that a sheet metal inner liner 16 has been provided at the rear of the evaporator chamber. The lower edge of the innerv liner I6 terminates directly The motor-compressor-condenser unit com-- prises a conventional rotary compressor unit 8I supported from the main frame 82 of the her- The drive shaft 88 of the compressor is journaled in the main. bearing 86 formed integral with the main frame 82. Se-

cured to the upper end of the main drive shaft 84 is a conventional motor rotor 88. A cylindrical motor stator support 88 which supports a conventional motor stator- 92 is also formed integral with the frame 82. portion of thehermetically-sealed unit 82 there is provided a supply of lubricant 94 which may be used for lubricating the bearing surfaces of the motor-compressor unit in any well-known manner. The refrigerant vapor returning from the evaporator 38 enters the compressor at 86.

The compressed refrigerant discharges through the discharge passage 88 provided in the main frame 82. The compressed refrigerant vapor passes upwardly between the motor rotor and the motor stator into the upper portion of the main dome I88 which cooperates with the frame element 82 to form a condensing cavity. In order In the lowermost I to remove the heat of condensation, a cooling fluid such as water is supplied through pipe I82 and flows through a coil Ill arranged in the space between the cylindrical motor stator support 88 and the outer dome I88. The cooling fluid leaves the unit through the line I88. The quantity of cooling water'flowing through the coil I84 is controlled by a conventional pressure responsive valve II8-which responds to the high side pressure within the main condensing chamher. In order that the valve I88 may respond to the condensing pressure, a line II8 is provided betweenthe pressure chamber of the valve I88 and the interior of the main condensing chamber. The condensed refrigerant collects in the lower portion of the space between the wall 88 and the outer dome I88 and flows to the evaporator 38 through the liquid line II2 which supplies liquid refrigerant to the manifold I I4.

As diagrammatically shown in Fig. 6, the evaporator is provided with a plurality of independent passes III, III, II8, II8 and I28. The flow of refrigerant to each pass of the evaporator is controlled by a separate restrictor I22 of the capillary tube type. By properly designing the size and length of the restrictor tubes the amount of refrigerant supplied to each pass of the evaporator may be so controlled as to control the temperature distribution on the evaporator. In the system disclosed herein, the have been shown arranged in parallel with respect to the air flow. Inasmuch as the amount of air flowing over some of the passes is greater than over other 1/ of the passes in the system shown herein, it is possible to compensate for the uneven air flow by properly designing the restrictors.

It is within the purview of this invention, however, to arrange the passes of the evaporator so that the air flows over the in series rather than in parallel. As pointed out hereinabove, by properly designing the restrlctortubes.

The compressor motor may be started and" stopped in response to the return air temperature by providing a switch I 24 in the motor circuit operated by a conventional thermostatic bulb arrangement I26, which for purposes of iilustration has been shown placed in the return air stream. A manual switch I28 is provided which makes it possible to. turn off the compressor'motor without turning off the blower motor 61. A separate manual switch I88 is provided which makes it possible to completely shut down the entire apparatus.

While I have shown a conventional dry bulb control, it is within the purview of this invention to use other types of controls such as wet bulb, combinations of wet and dry bulb or effective temperature controls. The controls may be Placed so as to be responsive either to the room air, the outside air or a combination of both.

While I have shown the air outlet grilles mounted in the front wall of the plenum chamber, I have also provided an opening I58 in each of the side walls of the upper section I8 of the cabinet as shown in Fig. 3 into which an air grille may be mounted. The size of the opening I58 is equal to half the size of the entire air chamber. The air grille I assess:

outlet opening in the front de of the plenum sections, any one of which may be transferred made up in two side opening lil is provided with a closure member In which is adapted to close the opening not being used. No filter has been provided at the air outlet as the return air passes through the filters It provided adjacent the return air inlets and the fresh air passes through a filter I54 provided in the fresh air duct ll.

In Fig.6 I have shown a slightly modified arrangement in which the refrigerating unit disclosed in Fig. 4 is used in combination with a horizontally disposed air fiow passage Ill. The refrigerating system shown in Fig. 5 is identical to the refrigerating apparatus disclosed in Fig. 4. In this modified arrangement the refrigerating apparatus is inserted in place through an opening in the lower wall of the duct I.

' may be enclosed within a cabinet I provided with an access door I.

While the form of embodimentoi the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted. all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a portable air conditioning apparatus; a casing; air circulating means arranged within the upper portion of said casing; and a complete self-contained volatile refrigerant system removably supported within the lower portion of said casing and comprising in combination, a frame member slidably supported within said casing, an evaporator carried by said frame member and disposedbeneath said air circulating means, a hermetically-sealed rotary motor- The refrigerating apparatus is supported in place by' means of bolts I42 or any other suitable means ship with said evaporator before, discharging intothespacetobeconditioned.

2. In a portable air conditioning unit. a cabinet forming an air fiow passage, a self-contained volatile refrigerant system removably suported within said cabinet directly in the air flow passage, a blower and blower motor permanentiymounted within said cabinet, an opening in one wall of said cabinet .through which said volatile refrigerant system may be inserted into said cabinet and withdrawn from said cabinet as a self-contained unit, a closure memcompressor-condenser unit in refrigerant 'ilow metically -sealed motor-compressor-condenser unit and theninto thermal exchange relationber for said opening, and removable filter ele-' ments carried by said closure member.

3. In a self-contained air conditioning unit, a casing, a blower and blower motor resiliently supported directly by said casing, a rack member in said casing removably supported by the walls of said casing. an evaporatorsppported on the upper side of said rack member, a motor-compressor-condenser means supported from the lower side of said rack member, means for introducing fresh air to be conditioned'into the space surrounding said motor-compressor-condenser means, means for introducing recirculated air into said cabinet, and means whereby a mixture of fresh air and recirculated air flows in thermal exchange relationship with said evaporator and is thereafter discharged through an air outlet in the upper portion of said cabinet.

4. A selt contained air conditioner comprising in combination, a cabinet, an evaporator in said cabinet, a sealed motor-c'ompressor-condenser unit in said cabinet. means for flowing a stream .of air to be conditioned in thermal exchange sealed casing enclosing the motor and the compressor and into which the compressed refrigerant is duscharged and a water coil located ad- Jacent the outer wall of said sealed casing for removing the heat dissipated by said sealed motor-compressor-condenser unit, said sealed casing being arranged directly in said air'strea'm.

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